Instruments of Destruction

About

"Instruments of Destruction" is a physics-based destruction game that lets players control a customizable destructive vehicle. Wreck, demolish, and annihilate various structures and environments with an arsenal of powerful weapons. With an emphasis on creative destruction and dynamic sandbox gameplay, each level presents new opportunities for chaos and mayhem.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

94%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,744 reviews

story36 positive mentions

grinding8 negative mentions

Instruments of Destruction features impressive destruction physics that provide a satisfying experience when demolishing buildings.
The game offers a creative vehicle building system that allows players to design unique machines for destruction, enhancing replayability.
The graphics and overall presentation are polished, making the game visually appealing and enjoyable to play.

The campaign missions can feel repetitive and lack variety, often focusing on objectives that don't emphasize destruction.
The user interface and controls can be confusing and clunky, making it difficult for new players to navigate the building mechanics.
Performance issues may arise on lower-end computers, leading to lag and a less enjoyable experience.

story
160 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
65%
13%
The story in "Instruments of Destruction" is described as minimalistic, serving primarily as a backdrop to the gameplay, which consists of a series of objective-based missions. While some players find the missions engaging and the vehicle-building mechanics enjoyable, many express frustration over the lack of diversity in mission types, with a significant number focusing on non-destructive tasks like moving boxes rather than the anticipated destruction gameplay. Overall, the narrative elements are seen as charming but not central to the experience, leading to mixed feelings about the game's progression and replayability.
- “Instruments of Destruction is an incredibly engaging and immersive game with its captivating storyline and intense gameplay.”
- “They have turned this game from a simple 'do level, level up, unlock parts, do more level' kind of style to a more story-rich one where there is more sense of purpose when you do the missions rather than just feeling that you just need to finish the level.”
- “Also, very intriguing storyline.”
- “The game seems to misunderstand what its target audience is - the game is literally called 'Instruments of Destruction', which I would read as 'we will take you on a power trip to destroy stuff', yet the missions do not embrace it at all.”
- “Only 4 types of missions: destroy x, y, z; get to a marker; collect some crystals (which is only done once); and push some containers into the water (which is done once as a main objective and once as a side objective). Not very diverse, and destroying the same structures gets boring quickly.”
- “After a while, half of the missions are like 'use this crane to move boxes around' with no smashing involved at all. I fundamentally protest the lack of focus on destruction in the missions overall.”
graphics
116 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
66%
32%
3%
The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim for their stunning detail and vibrant aesthetics, with many players noting the impressive particle and debris simulation that enhances the overall experience. While the game can be demanding on lower-end systems, those with capable hardware report smooth performance even at high settings. Overall, the visuals are considered top-notch, contributing significantly to the game's enjoyment and immersion.
- “The graphics are stunning, with every detail meticulously crafted to perfection.”
- “The nuance and fine detail of the physics, destruction, and graphics are stunning to behold.”
- “The graphics are top notch and the gameplay is so satisfying; it's teardown on another level of satisfaction.”
- “I hope they come out with a new version of the game with a better graphics engine; it would be a definite buy.”
- “Graphics are a mix of high-detail and Minecraft block style... very odd.”
- “I love this game the physics, graphics, kind of performance but a week ago I went into the game and it would freeze immediately, music on and background moving but couldn't click. I basically am banned from the game; please tell the devs to help with this problem.”
gameplay
100 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
54%
10%
The gameplay of "Instruments of Destruction" is highly praised for its engaging mechanics, fluid animations, and innovative use of music, which enhances the overall experience. Players enjoy the variety of vehicles and building options, allowing for creative destruction and replayability, although some note issues with controls and repetitive campaign objectives. Overall, the game offers a satisfying blend of physics-based destruction and vehicle customization, making it a fun and addictive experience.
- “The gameplay is incredibly addictive, offering a perfect balance of challenge and reward.”
- “The variety of instruments at your disposal adds another layer of depth to the gameplay, allowing for endless possibilities in how you approach each level.”
- “It's a great physics-based destruction game with a very fun mechanic, allowing you to build whatever you want, test it out, and then tweak the design to make it better.”
- “Damn, indoor linear gameplay?”
- “The game is very fun and has a ton of potential when the developers fix some of the bugs and bad mechanics like the camera moving everywhere.”
- “I personally love the gameplay and the physics, but when you are tasked with switching between land vehicles that have no vertical control and air vehicles that want you to aim and shoot, maybe the controls should work.”
music
96 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
41%
3%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its upbeat and engaging soundtrack that enhances the gameplay experience, often likening it to nostalgic chip-tunes and early 90s synth music. However, some players find the music obnoxious or unappealing, suggesting that it detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game. Overall, while the soundtrack is celebrated by many for its energy and integration with gameplay, there are notable dissenting opinions regarding its quality.
- “The way the soundtrack dynamically integrates with the action on screen is nothing short of genius.”
- “The missions all build off the engine's strengths and offer unique challenges, the parts are all fun and unique, and the soundtrack is spectacularly good at hyping you up for the whole thing.”
- “The music is a solid 10/10 - I get straight up nostalgia feels for the ye' olde golden days of gaming, but somehow it still feels new and fresh.”
- “So far it's very fun, but the music is hella obnoxious.”
- “Just the worst music ever!”
- “The game is nice but the music is just horrible.”
optimization
40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
50%
10%
Overall, the game's optimization is generally praised, with many players noting smooth performance and impressive graphics, especially for a physics-based sandbox title. However, some users report performance issues in levels with large buildings and specific gameplay mechanics, such as turret levels, indicating areas that could benefit from further optimization. Despite these concerns, the game is considered well-optimized for early access, with only minor bugs and a responsive development team.
- “It's well optimized and playing with a controller feels satisfying.”
- “A really cool and well optimized destruction physics-based sandbox game.”
- “The game is also optimized very well, and runs very smoothly.”
- “Performance can get kind of bad in levels that have a lot of large buildings.”
- “Okay, honest review: I love the game but really hate the turret levels. Either they are not properly optimized or are way too hard, so I hope in future updates we get more levels like the first four islands involving destruction but no turret levels.”
- “I love this game—the physics, graphics, and kind of performance—but a week ago I went into the game and it would freeze immediately. The music was on and the background was moving, but I couldn't click. I basically am banned from the game. Please tell the devs to help with this problem. The screen was still frozen, moving the play bars over to the screen. I hope you see this review and help me with this crashing problem; I want to try the grappler.”
replayability
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
41%
14%
The game boasts high replayability, particularly due to its sandbox mode and the recent addition of building and island editors, which allow for creative vehicle construction and unique gameplay experiences. Players have praised the infinite possibilities for design and destruction, with many expressing that the game offers deep, engaging mechanics that encourage experimentation. However, some users noted that the current state lacks sufficient content for replayability, suggesting that additional features like a custom map builder could enhance the experience further.
- “The recent additions of building and island editor add a lot of flexibility and replayability to the game.”
- “Infinite replayability and tons of depth; I made a 5-story tall vehicle that uses its spinning arms and saws to jump onto its targets; I made a bowling robot that uses a 10-ton magnetized wrecking ball and electromagnet to throw it; I made a machine that has 32 different saws and uses them for legs. Once you get your basic design concepts down, the real fun comes from designing instruments of profound destruction that control perfectly.”
- “In its current state, not very replayable.”
- “I can see a lot of potential for replayability if there was a custom map builder for sandbox mode and more components to build with.”
- “Adding a level editor and a building editor would boost the game's replay value significantly.”
humor
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is primarily derived from its chaotic destruction mechanics, which elicit laughter through the absurdity of crumbling buildings and creative vehicle combinations. Players find joy in the game's intuitive design and the entertaining possibilities offered by workshop integration, leading to countless funny moments during gameplay. Overall, the combination of destruction and creativity fosters a lighthearted and amusing experience.
- “With each crash, bang, and boom, you'll be laughing uncontrollably as buildings crumble and debris flies everywhere.”
- “Incredibly fun, creative, easy to grasp game that will have you chuckling to yourself about all the wacky combinations that you can manage to come up with.”
- “Building vehicles is intuitive, and the effects you can get are hilarious at times.”
grinding
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious, particularly in the vehicle creation menu, which detracts from the overall enjoyment. While some appreciate the opportunity to build and destroy, the repetitive nature of missions and the cumbersome building process can make it feel like a chore. Overall, grinding is seen as a significant time investment that may not appeal to everyone.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The vehicle creation menu is absolutely atrocious and tedious. I thought making custom vehicles would be a highlight of this game, but because of how bad it is, I do not want to engage with this part of the game at all.”
- “It's just that a lot of the missions are just 'meh' and/or tedious.”
stability
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
The game's stability is a mixed bag; while it performs well on high-end PCs and the Steam Deck with some adjustments, users report frequent bugs, including freezing issues and the deletion of creations. Overall, despite these stability concerns, players still find the game enjoyable.
- “Runs great in 2K on my PC and on Steam Deck at its regular resolution with some adjustments.”
- “Good game, but requires a high-end computer and is pretty buggy.”
- “Lots of problems; very buggy and often deletes creations.”
- “It's great, but has lots of bugs. When I play, I build something, then I launch it, and next it just freezes. I can't do anything other than move my screen, but overall it's a really fun game.”
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express that the game evokes strong emotions through its creative potential and modern aesthetic, allowing for impressive creations even without a deep understanding of its mechanics. The ability to engage with the game on different levels enhances its emotional impact, making it accessible and enjoyable for a wide audience.